Jeff, by the looks of your pics yours is just as bad as mine. Did you ever figure out what the problem was? Im just curious if the frames had a tendency to stress somewhere near the neck? Another thought was to lower the bike enough to get past the plastic but id kinda just rather fix the stupid thing right so I dont have to worry about putting my wife on the back ya know?

 

from the pics it looks like your forks are standing straight up and down. i'd take it to a shop and have them check the frame. it looks like youe neck is bent.

 

holy cracked rim batman - if it took a shot hard enough to shatter the rim - then something else is surely bent up and good.

When I said headset/knuckle earlier - I was referring to the neck... I would be willing to bet good coin that the neck is bent, and like I mentioned earlier - possibly cracked, if those forks are true.

As for checking the rake angle - get a protractor, a 2 foot length of thread or thin string, a fishing sinker/weight and a yardstick. Tie one end of the string through the tiny hole on the protractor, and tie the weight to the other end of the string. Tape the back of the protractor to the yard stick, making the end of the stick flush with the flat side of the protractor and centered on the 0 degree mark so it looks something like this:

D----------

The D represents the protractor and the ------- is the stick - which should be centered on protractor.

Hold the yardstick parallel to the fork with the protractor up at the top of the neck. Let the weight hang down and see where the string falls on the protractor for the degrees. I have a feeling it is WAY less than 24, judging by what I can see in the first picture.

Also - if you dont mind - post a side-profile shot of your bike which includes the ground, the forks and the neck... basically your standard side-view of the whole bike....

 

AWESOME info srobak. Ill buy a protractor on the way home from work tomorrow. Im also betting on a frame but want to double check.Worst case snenario is a frame but hey im already half way ripped down anyways! Even after all my parts minus paint ill be at 2k so im think im still ok. Thanks -Josh

 

I'm not convinced it's the frame. I think it may be the center post in the headstock being not parallel with the forks; i.e. the forks are straight, but thecenter of the bottom triple (where the post connects) is slightly bent. I think that's the "weak spot" in the steering, where the weight of the bike and the rake-plus-weight of the frontend (those upside-downers are heavy) cause the lower triple to "flex" in a crash. (Yes, I know the top triple creates a structural cage which strengthens the assembly.) The frame around the headstock is pretty stout on the '94'-97's, though. Heck, maybe even the bearings could be mushed.
However, having said all of that, I'll admit I could be way wrong...
I'll try the "string method" and report back tomorrow. Thanks for the advice.

 

Hrm - is the lower triple aluminum like the top? I dont recall... heheh... too lazy to go outside and look. I guess it could have deformed, but I think that would cause some pinching and damage to the top of the fork tubes on the top triple then, or in the lower as well... who knows... I think if the bearings were crushed he would feel it when moving the bars... and also I dunno if it would swing it so many degrees as it looks in the one photo. That is a pretty drastic rake decrease... if I had to guess 17 to 19 degrees. Lemme know what it turns out as.

 

Ouch, I am seeing what you are mentioning now. Some serious rake happening. Someone mentioned about the bearing being munched, I agree after seeing these pics. But I would say just take the front off. Place the stem shaft on centers and dial indicate it for concentrics, use a lazer to shoot through the neck and measure the rake or even a long shaft going through the neck. But you definitely have a short rake from the looks.

edit: forget about the wheel comment I made earlier in the thread. Was thinking just a bent rim and not a broken one!

 

Sorry for not getting back sooner, I had 2 sets of trees so the pipe being bent going through the neck is out. Ended up the same on both, I havent had a chance to check the frame rake yet due to home renovations and I cant walk in my garage but im already looking for a frame (see wanted section if you have one). I did talk to the guy and found out he fibbed a little on "low speed crash" he laid the bike down on gravel in a turn at 45 and the rim nailed a culvert pipe hence the reason for missing a chunk of it. I think 45 would be enough to tweak the frame but that mean those forks and trees are more stout. One would hope to bend those first as to not have to buy and labor in a frame....oh this is going to be fun!!! -Josh